1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic device that exposes the fuel of an internal combustion engine to a focused magnetic field.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that exposing a fluid to a magnetic field can change the characteristics of the fluid. For example, a magnetic field applied to water running through a pipe has been found to reduce the amount of calcium-carbonate residue on the interior of the pipe. It has also been found that applying a magnetic field to the fuel of an internal combustion engine can increase the performance of the engine, resulting in an improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,487 issued to Hudz and U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,754 issued to Heckel, disclose electromagnetic devices that apply a magnetic field to the fuel of an internal combustion engine. The Hudz and Heckel devices both contain coils that carry current and emanate a magnetic flux into the fuel. As stated in the Heckel reference, introducing the fuel to a magnetic field increases the fuel efficiency of the engine from 15% to 30%. Although both the Heckel and Hudz references both disclose an apparatus that applies a magnetic field to the fuel, these devices require coils and a source of current that increase the production and operating cost of the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,076 issued to Wolff; U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,743 issued to Sakuma; U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,385 issued to Dalupin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,262 issued to Chow; U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,512 issued to Adam et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,288 issued to Mitchell et al., all disclose fuel treating devices that contain one or more permanent magnets. The magnets are attached to the outside of a fuel line and are magnetized so that the magnetic field passes through the fuel. Although these prior art devices apply a magnetic field to the fuel, the location, configuration and magnetization of the magnets creates a relatively inefficient flux path. It would be desirable to provide a magnetic fuel treating device that efficiently applies a magnetic field to the fuel to induce a more complete combustion by increasing the available oxygen sites.